


Like Diamonds

by sekiharatae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Marriage Law Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-08-03
Updated: 2011-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28945920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sekiharatae/pseuds/sekiharatae
Summary: My take on the Marriage Law trope.  Will be dramione.  First part is a prologue, written as a historical text detailing changes to the Wizarding world following the end of the second Wizarding War.
Relationships: Draco/Hermione
Kudos: 2





	Like Diamonds

**Author's Note:**

> My take on the Marriage Law trope. Written for [](http://aquacutie16.livejournal.com/profile)[**aquacutie16**](http://aquacutie16.livejournal.com/) , winning bidder for my auction on [](http://help-japan.livejournal.com/profile)[**help_japan**](http://help-japan.livejournal.com/).  
> Thanks to my sounding board/team of betas: Sae, [](http://quoth-the-ravyn.livejournal.com/profile)[**quoth_the_ravyn**](http://quoth-the-ravyn.livejournal.com/) , [](http://jane-drew-.livejournal.com/profile)[**jane_drew_**](http://jane-drew-.livejournal.com/) , and [](http://guardantares.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://guardantares.livejournal.com/)**guardantares**. I really appreciate all the support. Thanks for putting up with me!  
> 

In the aftermath of the Second Wizarding War, magical Britain was primed for social and political reform. Indeed, many argued that such change was long overdue, and more equitable policies should have been implemented after Voldemort's first fall. Still others claimed that if the Ministry had seen fit to re-evaluate the issue of blood purity upon the defeat of Grindelwald, Voldemort would never have risen to power.

Regardless, following the downfall of the greatest Dark Lord ever known, the damage wrought by ignorance and entrenched prejudice was abundantly obvious. Between the death toll on both sides of the conflict, and the subsequent efforts to abolish corruption within the Ministry and the media, the wizarding world faced unprecedented attrition. Not since the height of the muggle witch hunts had numbers dwindled so low. Further, a significant portion of the remaining population would spend months recovering from time under the imperious curse, or unlawfully incarcerated within Azkaban.

Nowhere was the impact more apparent than the Ministry of Magic, where then-Interim Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt reluctantly approved use of Skeletal Staff (1) in order to ensure continued services. What's more, with the arrests of Maristela Gamp and Caractacus Burke, the Wizengamot found itself to be inquorate with no obvious recourse: a full quorum of eligible members simply did not exist. It was a situation so improbable, so impossible, that there was no contingency plan in place to cover it. Never, since the establishment of the Ministry in 1685, had such a thing happened. Even the Grand Exodus (2) in 1798 had less impact.

Historically, Wizengamot numbers have tended to be fairly stable, as seats are neither easily granted nor lightly revoked. Although a seat may be disclaimed by the current holder, or become dormant due to the age or infirmity of the heir, in both such cases the family retains the right to reclaim it at a later date. In fact, with the exception of extinction, there are only three circumstances under which a Wizengamot seat may officially be declared forfeit: if the head of the family declares bankruptcy, as with the Weasley family in 1877; if there is but one claimant and he or she is found to be a Squib, as with the Filch family in 1963; or if the line is declared attainted, as with the Collingwood family in 1946.

Given the turbulent times, one might expect the loss of bloodlines to account for the crisis in the Wizengamot. However, such was clearly not the case: of the seventy families with hereditary seats in 1970, only five were found to be extinct at the end of the First Wizarding War, with a further four at the end of the Second. In addition, five elders were on extended leave of absence to recover from their unlawful incarceration in Azkaban; and two families - Potter and Sakndenberg (3) \- were extant, but the heirs ineligible due to Wizengamot age requirements. Although undeniably tragic, such losses alone were not enough to impede procedure, and the deaths were, sadly, merely indicative of the rampant corruption in the higher echelons of wizarding society.

Ultimately, the actual cause of the crisis lay within the ideological rift instigated by Salazar Slytherin, and which eventually paved the way for his descendant's rise to power. When the Ministry was founded in the late seventeenth century, anti-muggle sentiment was at its peak, and as a result the blood-purists enjoyed a short period of considerable influence. It was during this time that a number of houses, most tending toward the dark arts, rose to prominence. Although their numbers eventually waned and popular support for their stance faded, once established, their power and presence persisted until the end of the Second Wizarding War. From these malcontent elitists Voldemort would draw his inner circle of supporters: individuals who considered themselves to be akin to wizarding royalty and above the law. Draped and masked in their Death Eater personae, most were not only apt but prone to using the Unforgivable Curses, believing themselves virtually untouchable. Ironically, they did so apparently unaware of the irrevocable stain their actions would place on their impeccably pure bloodlines.

It is well known that, if convicted, the penalty for casting any one of the Unforgivable Curses is a life sentence in Azkaban. However, there is also a second, more obscure consequence. Aside from outright treason - of which Voldemort himself was certainly guilty - attainder in the British wizarding world results from only one other offense: use of the Unforgivables. As a result, following the Dark Lord's initial defeat in 1981 and the subsequent trial and conviction of his supporters, twelve different families were automatically declared attainted and their Wizengamot seats forfeit. Similarly, after his final defeat in 1998, the voting rights of a staggering twenty families were suspended due to suspected Death Eater activity.

With only twenty-eight eligible members remaining, the Wizengamot was legally unable to adjudicate those same criminal cases which had so impacted their numbers. To resolve the issue, the Ministry turned to the Wizengamot's historical predecessor: the Wizard's Council. Originally the governing body of the British wizarding community, the council was comprised of twenty-one wizard elders selected from the founding magical families. By the late seventeenth century, however, the populace had become too widespread and numerous for such a small governing body. Thus was the Ministry of Magic founded, bringing the government of the wizarding world in line with its muggle counterpart. In the new system, the Ministry would handle the day-to-day governing of the wizarding populace, while the Wizengamot - initially the same body as the Wizard's Council -- would serve as the final word on all issues of law. Over time, as the population continued to grow and more families rose to prominence, the Wizengamot likewise increased in number, achieving peak membership in 1897 (4). Although a subsequent resolution established that a quorum would comprise thirty members, the initial charter - requiring twenty-one elders be present for all deliberations - remained unchanged.

Considering which, Arzhela Stroulger proposed the following compromise: for the sole purpose of electing new members, the Wizengamot would be allowed to proceed provided at least twenty-one members were in attendance and in agreement upon the nomination (5). As this would permit the inquorate body to bolster its numbers to the point where normal business could resume, the suggestion was very well received by both the remaining members and the wizarding public. After taking the precaution of consulting with Albus Dumbledore (6), the measure was adopted as official policy.

The most obvious candidate for the two required seats were those families or individuals who had distinguished themselves in the war. Among these, one - the Weasley family - stood out even among the rest. Aside from practically adopting the Boy Who Lived, members of the Weasley family had been involved in all aspects of the resistance: from locating and destroying Voldemort's horcruxes, to hosting pirate radio programs, to fighting in every major battle. As such, the abbreviated Wizengamot voted unanimously to grant the first 'new' to the Weasley family, reinstating the privilege lost in 1877.

In contrast to the ease with which a decision was reached regarding the first seat, the second proved far more problematic. Many members felt that, next to the Weasleys, the Lupin family was most deserving of recognition. Unfortunately, the only remaining Lupin was a newborn child, and awarding him a seat would not help resolve the Inquorate Crisis. In fact, a preponderance of the heroes of the Second Wizarding War did not meet the Wizengamot age requirement, and of those that did, most were already entitled. Thus, after considerable deliberation, a seat was eventually granted to Andromeda Tonks (née Black) as the nominal head of the Tonks family. The motion recognized - in a somewhat round-about fashion - the contributions of Nymphadora Lupin (née Tonks), Remus Lupin, and the exonerated Sirius Black; and also ensured that, in time, the seat would pass to the Lupin family through Andromeda's grandson.

Once again quorate, the Wizengamot promptly resumed trial proceedings, an endeavor which would extend over several weeks. In time, twelve of the suspended families were officially declared attainder. However, having learned from the oversights of the past, immediately after sentencing the Wizengamot made it a point of order to establish a new family in place of the old: Carrow was replaced by Egg; Selwyn by Smethwyck; Runcorn by Whitehorn. Slowly, case by case, the Wizengamot once again grew to some fifty members, not counting the seats granted to under-aged individuals in honor of their wartime contributions. What's more, only eight of those seats belonged to families who espoused beliefs in blood-purity.

The new membership would prove considerably more equitable than the old, systematically abolishing the laws and practices which had traditionally favored pure bloods. As a first order of business, however, Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt (duly elected in the intervening time) called for a series of hearings to address the prevalence of prejudice toward muggle-borns in the wizarding world, as well as common misconceptions wizards and witches harbored with respect to muggles. The direction famously noted:

>   
>  "The wizarding world persists in believing that muggles never made it out of the dark ages; in pretending witches and wizards, innocent of any wrongdoing, are constantly under threat of persecution. This is not the case. In many respects magic has actually crippled our development: while muggles have made great strides in knowledge and understanding, wizarding society has remained largely the same since the founding of the ministry. Worse, when the muggle-born come to us, eager and enchanted, we are no more open-armed than our mundane counterparts were hundreds of years ago. Now it is we, not they, who are engaging in acts of hatred and intolerance, and our world is the one beggared by it."

The subsequent hearings would eventually lead to sweeping changes, as exactly how advanced muggles were became clear, and harsh truths long denied by the blood-purists came to light.

**Endnotes:**

1\. Despite the name, this is not a form of necromancy. The 'skeletons' are, in fact, mere magical constructs similar in nature to a golem. As many find their silent efficiency and macabre appearance profoundly discomfiting, their employment is reserved for extreme situations.

2\. Upon the appointment of the first female Minister for Magic, Artemisia Lufkin, five Wizengamot elders resigned in protest. As the number was fairly insignificant when considering the body as a whole, this departure was truly neither 'grand' nor an 'exodus'.

3\. The only loss unrelated to Death Eater activity, the Sakndenberg seat had been vacant since the death of Ifanwy Lovegood (née Sakndenberg) in 1990. Luna Scamander (née Lovegood) is the current holder.

4\. When the eighty-third seat was granted to the Waffling family in recognition of Adalbert's pioneering work in magical theory.

5\. Anticipating resistance from certain quarters, Stroulger proposed the twenty-one vote requirement as a sop: although the size of the voting body would be smaller, the number of votes necessary to pass any legislation would be higher. As it would be more difficult, rather than less, to pass a motion while inquorate, any argument about the validity of the decision - or, more precisely, the possible impact of the two missing votes - was rendered moot.

6\. Or, rather, his portrait. Dumbledore was Chief Warlock for longer than anyone else in Ministry history, and was considered an expert on Wizengamot procedure - a status his portrait still retains.

Excerpt from _Reconstruction and Reformation after the Fall of Voldemort_  
Copyright © 2025 by C. A. Malfoy


End file.
